Swallowed up in the Joy of Christ

Here are some excerpts from weekly emails that I used to send to missionaries I taught in the MTC. Power of Prayer - 31 January 2021 I had a powerful experience this week that I would like to share. Tuesday I usually have a lot of time because this semester I don't have MTC class on Tuesdays and I just have two classes earlier in the day. So usually I get a lot done. However, sometimes feeling like I have a lot of free time can lead me to mosey about (could be avoided with effective planning), and that was the case this last Tuesday. It got to be about 7:00 PM and I realized I had several dozen pages of material I needed to read to prepare for an assignment and class due to the next morning. And as I tried to read, other distracting thoughts in my mind. In the midst of this frustrating situation in which I felt unable to concentrate, I remembered a story President Ballard told in the last general conference (I had listened to this talk a few days prior) in which he had a distractin...

Last week, I was teaching my current district of missionaries online and trying to prayerfully decide which of the missionaries the Lord would have me do a one on one with (I only had time to do one more, and none of them had expressed more concerns than any other). As I stared at the list of names on my screen, a phrase from the following scripture (where the Lord is speaking to a missionary) came to my mind: "Go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west,  it mattereth not,  for ye cannot go amiss " (D&C 80:3). At that moment, I realized the Lord was telling me that no matter which missionary I chose to meet with, I would be able to make a difference and do good, and, in this case, the Lord did not have a specific missionary in mind that he needed me to meet with. I was free to choose. ---MORAL OF THE STORY--- Since that experience, I have noticed that there are many times when I get frustrated because I can't figure ou...

  “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” - Jesus Christ I add my personal witness to the reality and truth of this amazing promise! There are many days when I read or hear this scripture and think, “That can’t possibly happen with this weakness I have!” But as I look back over the past few years–or even the past few months, I am amazed at how Christ’s grace has been sufficient to change so many of my weaknesses into strengths. It doesn’t usually happen all at once, but I find that Christ is changing me little by little every day as I humble myself before him and plead for his help. I still have a lot of changing and growing to do. But I am amazed day after day when I look back and find that the things I felt I couldn’t change...

  “And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam... Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith." (Mosiah 23:20-21). God’s purpose and greatest desire is to bring about our desires for immortality and eternal life. A necessary part of that process is growth and refinement that can only occur in the face of opposition and trials in mortality. Therefore, when we have mastered a certain challenge and are just beginning to thrive and get cozy in our current situation, life often throws more at us. As Elder Richard G. Scott once explained, “Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlas...